Foreign Minister Diana Mondino held a working meeting with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Argentine Republic, Karl Dhaene.
During the meeting, Foreign Minister Mondino and Ambassador Dhaene highlighted the excellent relations that unite both countries, resulting from their shared views on strategic issues of the global agenda, such as the defence of multilateralism and a rules-based international order.
Dhaene explained that, since January 1 and for a six-month period, Belgium holds the Rotating Presidency of the European Union Council and listed the main priorities for such term.
Then, Dhaene stated that support for Ukraine is still a priority for the EU and thanked Foreign Minister Mondino for the position adopted by the Argentine Republic on this conflict. The Belgian diplomat also referred to the importance that the EU gives to the ties with Latin America and the Caribbean.
In addition, both authorities undertook to expand and enhance bilateral cooperation. In the field of security, for example, they referred to the recently concluded negotiations that gave rise to the police cooperation agreement between both countries.
For her part, Foreign Minister Mondino mentioned the progress made by the applied research company (INVAP) in the field of satellites to control and monitor border traffic and invited Ambassador Dhaene to identify possible cooperation actions in this field. She also noted the constant and longstanding presence of various Belgian companies in Argentina.
In 2023, bilateral trade in goods and services between Belgium and Argentina reached USD 660 million and USD 350 million, respectively (data up to September 2023). Currently, more than twenty Belgian companies are operating in Argentina in the retail, chemical, transport (ports), vineyard and dredging sectors, among others.
